Adjustable height increasing shoe



W, ww. J. BURGER 2,184,209

ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT INCREASING SHOE Filed April 1'7, 1939 Y A? 23 z 9 L2 42; 23/32 Z I /6 /Z I 3 I, 4

Jrwmfm Patented Dec. 19, 1939 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in shoes for men and women and consists of a novel addition and arrangement embodied in the shoes of regular or conventional types to be worn by human feeet, the principal purpose of which is to have the wearer of these shoes appear taller.

In my co-pending application, Serial No. 259,999, filed March 6, 1939 there is described and claimed one such means for accomplishing this 1 purpose which means referred to therein as an elevator is of a fixed predetermined height and not adjustable.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an inner sole for a shoe combined with a metallic arch including a vertically adjustable means supporting the heel portion of the arch and inner sole which adjustable means is mounted in the heel of the shoe in a manner as to be adjustable exteriorly of the shoe to thereby vary the height to which the heel portion of the inner sole and arch may be raised.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a shoe showing the application of the invention;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional View through a part of the heel taken on line 2-2, Figure 1;

- and Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 33, Figure 1 showing the manner of attaching the adjusting member to the heel portion of the arch and inner sole.

Referring to the drawing, l denotes a conventional form of shoe comprising an upper ll secured to a sole I? in the manner well known. The heel of the shoe H] is made up of a leather lift l3 and rubber heel l4 also fixed to the shoe in the manner well known, although it is to be understood that the invention to be hereinafter described is equally as well applicable to solid leather heels or heels of any other well known construction.

Provided within the shoe is an inner sole [5, the sole l6 and toe portion ll of which may be fixedly secured within the shoe during the manufacture thereof in the manner well known or the inner sole may be removably fitted within the shoe in the manner as set forth in my co-pending application. In any event the inner sole I is so disposed within the shoe as to permit raising or lowering of the arch and heel portions, 18 and i9, respectively, thereof. Beneath the inner sole I 5 and secured thereto in any desired manner for unit handling therewith is a flexible metallic arch 20 of any desired shape or type.

Supporting the heel portion [9 of the inner sole l5 and heel portion 22 of the arch 20 is an axially rotatable and vertically movable support 23 comprising a threaded stem 24 provided at its upper end with an enlarged diameter collar 25 and a flat disc like head 26, which latter is adapted to engage or seat against the metallic head portion 22 of the arch 20. A U-shaped bracket 2'1, the flat base 28 of which is provided with a circular opening 29 engages the lower surface of the head 26, the collar 25 fitting within the opening 29 so as to provide a fixed rotatable connection of the support 2% in the bracket in the manner readily apparent. The bracket 21 is secured to the arch 20 and inner sole [5 by means of rivets 3i] and is positioned centrally on the heel portion 22 of the arch 20, the construction of the bracket 21 being such that all movement of the head 26 is prevented except rotational movement thereof.

Formed within the upper surface of the heel lift i3 is a non-circular recess 32 in which is snugly fitted a like shaped non-circular nut 33 so as to be locked against movement in all directions when the lift I3 is secured to the sole l2 of the shoe. The nut 33 is so positioned on the heel lift i3 as to be co-axial with the stem 24 of the support 23, which stem is adapted to be threaded through the nut. Thus by virtue of the fixed mounting of the nut 33, rotation of the stem 24 will provide an axial vertical movement either up or down of the support 23 depending upon the direction of rotation of said stem, to cause a corresponding raising or lowering of the heel portions l9 and 22 of the inner sole l5 and arch 20.

The lower end of the threaded stem 24 is provided with a squared or other non-circular shaped end 35 which projects into a vertical opening 36, formed in the rubber heel l4. Rotation of the stem 2 3 is effected by a key (not shown) adapted to be inserted into the opening 36 for engagement with the squared end 35 of the stem.

It is thus seen that the invention provides a readily adjustable support which may be conveniently and quickly set for any desired increase in height found suitable for the wearer of the shoe, and which increase in height may at any time be varied as may be found desirable.

This invention further contemplates the use of the adjustable support with the elevator described and shown in my co-pending application.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In a shoe including a heel, a support for increasing the apparent height of a person comprising an inner sole having a metallic heel and arch reinforcing portion, the latter being adapted to be raised or lowered with respect to the shoe, a support means movably mounting said support in the heel of the shoe, said support means including an element projecting upwardly into the shoe, means rotatably connecting said element to the heel portion of the inner sole, said support element comprising a threaded stem, a fiat head on the upper end of said stem, said support means comprising a nut fixedly locked within the heel of the shoe, said heel having an opening coaxial with said nut and stem, said stem threadedly engaging said nut and being adapted for axial vertical movement in said opening, said stem at its lower end terminating in a non-circular end extension adapted to be engaged by a key inserted through said opening for rotating said stem, the means for rotatably connecting said element to the heel portion of the inner sole comprising a U-shaped bracket surrounding said stem and adapted to hold the head thereof in seated engagement with the under surface of said heel reinforcing portion, and means fixedly securing the bracket and the metallic reenforcing portion to the inner sole.

JOSEPH BURGER. 

